Getting to Know: New York Alt-Rock act, Face The King
In today’s Getting to Know, we meet New York alt-rock act, Face The King, a band with arena-sized ambitions and a supreme dedication to fans. If you are in an up and coming band that would like to partake in a Getting to Know feature, contact editor@riffyou.com to receive the questionnaire and instructions. Thanks!
Band Name: Face The King
Band Members: Eric Zirlinger (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Dan DelVecchio (guitar, backing vocals), Joey Dammacco (bass, backing vocals), and Randy Palumbo (drums, percussion).
Years Active: 5
City of Origin: Amityville, NY.
Who are you and what do you do?
“Dan DelVecchio, I play lead guitar for Face The King.”
What is your latest release and how would you best describe it to someone who hasn’t heard your band?
“Our latest release is called The Sound EP, a collection of songs that serve as a preview for the next evolution of Face The King. Since then we have also released our newest single, “The Sea,” on the homepage of our official website. We would describe both releases as something that may sound familiar to those who love arena rock bands from the past and present – with an added new age and unique twist. If you like music that makes you think, uplifts you, or encourages you to look beyond the confines of everyday life, then this is for you.”
When making an album, which aspect of the process do you put the most time into and why?
“I think we put the most time into the song writing aspect of creating the album. In my opinion it’s without a doubt the most important, because production and rehearsing can’t save a crappy song. It can sound polished, but at the end of the day you want to put the most time into creating something that is genuine and from the heart. In most cases, a great song will always translate no matter which way you present it.”
What is the best part about your band and why?
“I would say our live show. Our live show is something we take pride in, because we believe it’s an experience shared between the audience and the fans. In spite of the fact that we do put an enormous effort into each recording we put out, on stage is the place where we leave everything. When we’re on stage all our emotions, and all the sentiment for each of our songs can be seen and felt in a much more clear and intense fashion. The audience will feed off our energy, and us off of theirs.”
What makes your band unique from the rest?
“Face The King prides itself and its music on being genuine and from the heart. Each song conveys a specific message, and while performing on stage, we are conscious of this. A lot of bands will phone it in, or they will simply act as a rock band on stage, while not being sincere with their music. Throughout writing and creating our music, we want to reflect on our own experiences and life lessons, as well as spread a positive message to our fans. We want to encourage them to find who they are, love who they are, and stay true to who they are. We have also always promoted the idea that a concert is one of the very few places that bring people together of all different walks of life – once the lights go down, everyone is singing in unison, free of all forms of judgement or discrimination. Music can be a powerful thing, and we try to harness that power.”
How does your band survive the challenges of touring/gigging?
“When you’re on the road you’re going to need sleep, and sometimes you’ll have to get creative in finding the time and place to do it. Each of us have our own pet peeves while traveling on the road, but one thing I can’t stand is having a bandmate who relentlessly snores like an asthmatic warthog through the entire night. This is a big deal for someone like me who is a light sleeper as it is, and can’t stand to hear even the faintest noise. Throughout my time on the road with Face The King I’ve learned that quality earplugs were the best investment I ever 
made. In addition, planning is also a crucial part of survival – always prepare for what can go wrong. If you don’t go by the rules of Murphy’s Law and prepare for it, you may find yourself in a deep rut.”
Would you rather be critically-acclaimed; rich and famous; or an under-the-radar band with a dedicated fan base?
“The truth of the matter is, we want this for our lives by any means possible. If it means that we become critically acclaimed or an under-the-radar band with a dedicated fan base who enables us to make a living doing what we love, then it doesn’t make a difference to us.”
If you’d have to compare your band to another one out there, living or dead, who would it be and why?
“We often compare ourselves to arena bands from both the past and the present. We are a culmination of our influences, as opposed to our inspiration all coming from one artist. Some of these bands include U2, Muse, 30 Seconds to Mars, Coldplay, Pink Floyd, or Radiohead. To us, these artists have created music that is timeless – music that both previous, current and future generations can identify with, enjoy, and relate to for years to come. Our goal is similar to these artists. While we began this project writing for ourselves and the experiences that we’ve gone through, we’ve noticed throughout doing this that our music seemed to have captured a wide age range.”
Which band/musician would you like to share many drinks with? What would you talk about?
“Everyone knows that Mötley Crüe and Van Halen in their prime were some of the craziest partying bands that ever lived. I think an experience like that would be a night to remember…or not remember for the rest of my life. We’d exchange tour stories, and of course compared to any of theirs, mine would be embarrassingly lame. But then again, I have a lot more living to do.”
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